October, 07, 2014 Wine-shipping mess still around

(PD) - A decade ago, shipping wine across state lines was still an unsettled issue, but the phrase “reciprocal trade” was a kind of well-understood tactic that solved problems.  It meant that if the state a winery was in and the state it wanted to ship to both had laws that perm...

October, 07, 2014 Improving Vineyard Water Use

(Wines&Vines) - Growers in Sonoma and Napa counties can sign up for an evaluation of their drip irrigation systems to ensure they’re watering as efficiently as possible. The Sonoma and Napa County Resource Conservation Districts are offering irrigation system evaluations through their ...

October, 06, 2014 Israel: What wine did King David drink?

(BBC) - A scientist in Israel is on a mission to find out what kind of wine was drunk in Biblical times. The project - which is part-funded by the government - also aims to re-launch its production. Several barrels of wine are already standing next to Elyashiv Drori's laboratory at Ariel Universit...

October, 06, 2014 Canada: 109 year booze ban up for vote in plebiscite

(GlobalNews) - A ban on alcohol sales that has been in place since Alberta became a province will be voted on in a plebiscite in the town of Cardston today. The predominantly Mormon town, 240 kilometres south of Calgary, has been dry for the past 109 years. Cardston was founded in 1887 by Mormon ...

October, 06, 2014 Unknown grape could be solution to climate change

(TDB) - Wine cooperative Plaimont may have found a solution to a demand for less alcoholic reds from hot wine regions – an ancient grape currently known as Pedebernade 5. The producer, which comprises 1,000 growers across four regions in southwest France, planted the largest private collec...

October, 06, 2014 California: Wine Crush Dodges Most Drought Threats

(Wines&Vines) - As the wine grape harvest wraps up on California’s North Coast, we’re completing our month-long tour of vineyards throughout the state. Some growers report that harvest is complete before picking would normally begin. The drought brought challenges of course, but i...

October, 06, 2014 UK: Beer keg thieves billed over £5m scam

(TDB) - A gang of beer keg thieves in the UK who sold on £5 million worth of stolen barrels for scrap metal have been ordered to pay back £40,000 plus court costs. The group, who operated around the East Midlands area of England, ran an illegal operation that saw 90,000 empty beer ke...

October, 06, 2014 Will Proposition 1 solve California's water crisis?

(KABC) - In November, California residents will vote on Proposition 1. The multi-billion-dollar water bond is supposed to help solve the state's water crisis, but opponents say it's a big waste of money. As the state's water supplies continue to drop, Proposition 1 could change the way we deal wit...